Estonia has barred anyone under 21 from taking part in events in Belarus or Russia, whether it's taking part in a contest or going to a summer camp. Authorities cited the ideological nature of such events as the reason. In reality, Tallinn fears comparisons between life in "normal countries" and Estonia — and not in Estonia’s favor, said Belteleradio political commentator Yevgeny Gorin. He discussed the news on April 17, 2025, on the SB TV show "Letuchka" with SB.Belarus Segodnya correspondent Lyudmila Gladkaya and Grigoriy Azarenok. Backing Gorin’s remarks, Azarenok pointed to Lithuania as an example, saying “the entire infrastructure there has already collapsed.”
“Don’t forget they recently shut down a children’s health resort — a Belarusian one — in Druskininkai, Lithuania. So, they’re doing everything they can to wipe out the population entirely. There are about three and a half grandmas left living in that miserable Latvia and Lithuania.”
The resort in question is called Belarus. And it’s still open. Lithuania’s public business registry shows the organization paid taxes for the first two months of 2025. There’s also data showing the average resort employee salary in February was about €1,500. At the time of publication, the resort employed just over 180 people.
The Belarus resort’s website lists prices for the 2025 season. A WTF team journalist called the resort posing as a customer and asked if she could book a double room for six nights in May.
“We do have a room starting May 25 ... It’s €190 per night,” a staff member responded.
The resort is owned by Belarus and suspended operations for six months in 2020–2021, when the EU’s sanctions led to the organization’s bank accounts being frozen. At the time, Belarus was under the management of the Presidential Property Directorate. The resort was later transferred to the Belarusian Republican Center for Health Improvement and Sanatorium-Resort Treatment.
Since 2023, Lithuania has stopped issuing visas to Belarusian citizens, making it harder to access the resort in Druskininkai. Business registry data show its revenue dropped sharply in 2020–2021 but has since rebounded, even surpassing 2019 levels.
